For the eighth year, St. Brigid's is offering after-school help and English as a second language at Casa Mary Johanna which is located on Brooke Street in New Cassel. Parish volunteers are again spending time with children in the afternoon (to help with school homewaork) or adults in the evening (to teach conversational English).

Under the direction of Yanira Chacon-Lopez, who is the coordinator of Casa Mary Johanna and full time staff member of St. Brigid's, the program helps to build community and give non-English speaking people a chance to be better integrated into our neighborhood and church.

We are currently signing up volunteers to be part of the after-school and evening programs. If you would like to volunteer to be part of this effort, you can easily do so here online.

Here are the details:

After school Program: Meets each Tuesdays and Thursday afternoon. Volunteers can choose to come on either or both days.

English as a Second Language: Meets each weekday evening.
Volunteers only need to come one evening.

You're invited to our information sessions at the Parish Center (across the street from the church) on Tuesday, September 25th.
After School Program Info session at 3:30pm
English as a Second Language Info session at 7:30pm

St Brigid says...

"What is the origin of Casa Mary Johanna?"

Here is the article printed in the July 9, 1999 edition of the Westbury Times:

Casa Mary Johanna Reaches Out to Hispanic Community
By Jennifer Woods

Every Tuesday morning about 10 Hispanic women take a seat in a small classroom in a New Cassel home to learn English. They learn English terms that they could use in a job cleaning homes such as the names of cleaning products, parts of a house and terms describing household chores. On Thursday nights, it's mostly men who come to this classroom to learn English and a couple of afternoons a week, neighborhood children come to get help with their homework.
These classes are a part of a new program launched recently by St. Brigid Roman Catholic Church. Headed by Sister Judy Mannix, Casa Mary Johanna was created to address the needs of the community's growing Hispanic population. Located at 269 Sheridan St.(Note: Casa Mary Johanna has since moved to Brooke Street) in New Cassel, Casa Mary Johanna opened in April, but just recently hosted a dedication ceremony celebrating the new ministry satellite and its name-sakes. The house was named in memory of Mary Goode and Johanna Cavallaro, two longtime Outreach volunteers who recently passed away. The families of Goode and Cavallaro were present at the ceremony to honor the two women and hang their pictures inside the house.
But it wasn't too long ago that Sister Judy was preparing to move on from her time with St. Brigid. Father Frank Gaeta, however, suggested she stay in the area and expand the ministry to include a separate location dedicated to helping Hispanic immigrants. The program includes English, and Spanish literacy classes for adults, tutoring and homework help for children and in some cases, help with filing immigration papers. But perhaps more importantly to many who go there, Casa Mary Johanna provides a place where they are at home.
"I hope Casa Mary Johanna is a place where people can continue to feel welcome and cherished," said Sister Judy at the opening ceremony.

Helping those of Latin descent is nothing new to Sister Judy. She has been helping people fill out immigration papers, find jobs and learn English for the last four years since she came to the church, which has a Hispanic congregation of over 700 people.

"They want what we all want," said Sister Judy. "They want to live with dignity and provide for their families. I don't think that is too much to ask."

Most of the people who come to Sister Judy are from El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico and other Latin countries. Some have been here over a decade, others just weeks. Some left their native countries to escape war, others extreme poverty. Whatever the case, Sister Judy, said they came here because they were desperate to make a better life for themselves.
Once here a new struggle begins, she said. Finding a job, at least one that pays well, is next to impossible for someone who does not speak the language and does not have the right documentation, such as a work permit, she explained. The jobs immigrants do find are often low-paying and offer no benefits. And Sister Judy said while many Americans do not understand why these immigrants are unable to "pick themselves up by their boot straps," she said they also don't understand the complexities of the situation.

From the slow-moving bureaucratic process of dealing with the US Immigration Department, to overcoming language and cultural barriers, Sister Judy said the transition is not an easy one.
"It's been very difficult and I had a lot of fear," said one young woman about her arrival to the US.

But like all the women in her Tuesday morning English class learning the language is the first step to making a better life for herself here in the States.

"For me it means an open door, a light in my pathway," said a Mexican woman about the importance of being able to take the class.
Another said, "This way we can advance. We can progress."

They are thankful for the church and the outreach it has provided. "For me the church is a little piece of Mexico," said one woman.
They are also thankful for their teacher, Martha Almonte, who arrived in the country only three years ago. She said she enjoys teaching at Casa Mary Johanna because it gives her the opportunity to share what she has learned. Martha added that she remembers what it was like to be in the position her students are in and credits Sister Judy with helping her to make the transition in her new home.

Still, while these Hispanic immigrants may have a great deal to learn, Sister Judy believes they have much to offer the rest of the community. Their faith, ability to take risks, kindness and warmth are qualities she said American-born residents could learn from.

"They bring with them their own unique gifts and talents," she said.

So Sister Judy, who spent two years in El Salvador and is fluent in Spanish, said Casa Mary Johanna serves dual purposes.
"It's twofold, one to address the needs of Spanish immigrants and to help non-immigrants understand the situation."